The Restaurant that goes above and beyond

With my major in hospitality I wanted to talk about an innovator who I see does well in service development and the one innovator that came into mind when talking about designs of goods and services is Charlie Trotters.  In my hospitality course, we were to read “Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter” and the book talked about the operation process of the restaurant with the employees as well as the customers.  It really showed emphasis on how concentrating the detail and aspects of both the employees and guests is what gives off the success of service in the long run.

With his employees, he wants his customers to get the service that his servers would want to receive so he encourages his staff to go dine at different restaurants and do research on what was good and what wasn’t.  That way they can implement it on their dining service.  Also there are many different positions in Charlie Trotters and in order for his staff to be the best he gives his employees opportunities (under his expense) by traveling to various states or countries to take a workshop or expo so they can increase their expertise.

This restaurant is the typical restaurant where you may or may not be greeted at the door, you sit, server comes to your table, you order, somebody who isn’t your server delivers your food, you eat, ask for the check, and then leave.  This restaurant isn’t cheap either but it all depends what your definition of expen$ive because even though this course meal may cost your wallet to be empty the service you get out of it could be once in a lifetime and be worth the experience.  Now I can’t list off what every single detail that they do that makes this service an experience but I will share some examples from the book that customers have experienced with Charlie Trotters servers going the extra mile.

What I want to first mention is the customization of the menu.  People go there mainly for the service and if you don’t see anything you like on the menu the Chiefs will make something to your liking, even if they don’t have the ingredients.  They will go to the local shops and do what they can to make you happy.  There is also HONESTY.  With every guest he will go the extra mile but he admits that if he just sees that his service won’t be compatible with his guest he will suggest other restaurants that will suit his guest rather than forcing a service in order to gain profit.

One service example is the blizzard that ran through Chicago on January 2nd, 1999.  The restaurant wasn’t as packed but loyal guests had showed up to their reservations anyway taking cabs and the transit.  After their dinner, the staff contacted numerous of cabs and limos that would take their guests back to their home and they had no luck.  Instead, Charlie didn’t want his guests waiting any longer so he offered himself and as well as the staff to be your personal driver of the night.

A guest wanted to propose to his girlfriend that night at the restaurant and he wanted to use a poem.  He explained to the reservationist over the phone how he didn’t know what to do and he needed help and with the help of the reservationist they both worked out a poem over the phone where he was able to read that night.

Parking is hard to find in the area and a guest had their car towed.  This guest traveled from another state in order to dine at Trotters.  As the guest complained about the car being towed to the receptionist, Sandoval, he offered to take the guest to the towing company.  Sandoval didn’t just drop him off but he stayed with the guest throughout the night waiting at the pound until the guest retrieved his car.

There are other small examples from the staff trying to beat you to the bathroom so they can open the door for you to handing you their tie that they are wearing because you mentioned how much you liked it to Charlie offering to make you lunch even though the restaurant is only open at dinner time.

Were there any restaurants that you been to that you saw as an innovator to a service that they didn’t have to perform but did anyway?  Or had unique strategies on how to treat their operations and employees?

RESOURCE:  LAWLER, EDUMUND. “LESSONS IN SERVICE FROM CHARLIE TROTTER.”

Feeling BLUE on Vday

When we talked about  operational strategy and ethics, what came it to my mind was this article that I had read in my hospitality class about JetBlue airlines.   In this article, it talked about how JetBlue airlines had emphasis on providing the “JetBlue Experience” but when it came to the winter storm that hit the Midwest and Northeast on February 14, 2007, the experience wasn’t implemented.

The “JetBlue Experience” consists of value, service, and style.  Taking flight with JetBlue you will be provided with what JetBlue calls a low-cost, high quality service.   Their service differentiation is they let your first checked bag flies for free and the layout of the plane is developed where comfort is offered to their customers with wider seats, more legroom, space for storage.  JetBlue passengers get to watch 36 channels of DIRECTV, newly release films, and music station.   JetBlue provides their passengers with brand name amenities and provide wine.  The JetBlue Experience is mainly an experience that you would have at other high price airfares but at a low cost or what they express in their website as the “best fare guarantee.”

The issue that JetBlue faced in 2007 is a severe snow storm affected JetBlue’s operations.  Their reaction to the snow storm got in the way of what they were known for and that is service.  What JetBlue did wrong was acting as if the snow storm wouldn’t get in the way of their operations and instead of canceling flights (like other airlines) they still boarded their passengers in hopes that there would be a possibility there would be a slight break from the storm so the planes can use the runways.  Instead, they didn’t get a break from the storm and therefore since the planes were already at the gates for departure at the runway they were stuck at the runways.  Passengers weren’t allowed to exit the plane and was held captive in the plane for 10+ hours with very little food and drinks.  It took 10+ hours to hear a response of from operations on what JetBlue was going to do next and JetBlue finally decided to get the passengers and members rescued.  Others would think that the winter storm is responsible for this but I believe it is the David Neeleman’s, CEO and Founder, responsibility to have taken initiative.  It should be his responsibility to have himself or someone else trained enough to know what are morally right operations and flight decisions.

In response to this Crisis, David Neeleman formed the Customers’ Bill of rights.  I believe the Customers’ Bill of Rights is a good start from recovering their mistake.  The Customer’s Bill of Rights should have been done from the start to have cancellations based on uncontrollable factors so that passengers are aware.  This action will help the company regain customer loyalty but probably not as much as before.  This customer bill of rights do list what JetBlue will offer if cancellations or delays happen to passenger flights but it does not show what they would do for customer safety when it comes to uncontrollable factors.  I believe JetBlue should have included in their Customer bill of Rights document an idea of what they plan to do if an uncontrollable factor like the snow storm happens again.  I believe they should have explained to customers what they thought they should have done and shouldn’t have done and what they would do in the future if it were to happen again.  They should of have set back up plans on incidents like these so that issues, like unable to use ground equipment to tow planes because it was frozen in place, wouldn’t get in the way of peoples safety.  Providing high quality service is not only based on the prices and what brand you can give it is also based on having to provide the quality of safety for your consumers too.

Winter storms is an uncontrollable factor, do you think JetBlue operations were on the wrong for trying to beat the storm by boarding passengers?

 

REFERENCE ARTICLES:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17166299/ns/travel-news/t/jetblue-apologizes-after-passengers-stranded/#.T-yl01IXJpk

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/30/snow-storm-strands-jetblu_n_1066019.html

http://www.jetblue.com/flying-on-jetblue/customer-protection/